Automatic gas-burner control



H. BRADY Er AL L'lm AUTOMATIC GAS BURER CONTROL Filed April l5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l E3@ H.' ERADY' m AL LlZ Aurom'rxc GAS BURNER. CONTROL Fi-lgd April 15, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2A atented Aug. 19, i939 PATENT OFFICE HUGH BRADY AND REGINALD M. BRADY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC GAS-BURNER CONTROL Application i1ed April 15,

Our invention relates -to new and useful improvements in fuel burners generally, although the invention relates more particularly to oil burners of that type used in oil 5 stoves and furnaces.

One of the important objects of our invention is to associate an electrical ignition circuit with a fuel burner whereby if the fuel controlling valve is open and the iame becomes accidently extinguished, `the circuit will automatically re-ignite the fuel and thereby avoid the known dangers resultant from the fuel controllin valve remaining open subsequent to the ame being extinguished.

Another important object of our invention` is to control the ignition circuit by the fuel controlling valve whereby when the valve is opened the circuit willy be closed but when the valve is closed the circuit will be opened to avoid the unnecessary use of the battery current or other source of electrical energy.

A further object of our invention lies in mounting the thermostat, which automatically controls a switch in the ignition circuit, on the upper side of the burner for d1- rect contact with the ame and to provide a guard for said thermostat whereby the latter will be protected against accidental inJury.

With lthese and other objects in view which will more fully appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by following the description, the appended claims, and the several viewsillustrated in the accompanying drawings. l

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one form of our invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a gas stove burner equipped with our invention,

4Q Figure 2 is a side elevationthereof,

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view, Figure4 is a detail end elevation of the burner showing the thermostatic switch, Figure 5 is a vdetail sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3,

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of th ignition circuit,

Figure 7 is 'a detail'view showing the main switch of the circuit in open position,

1927. Serial No. 183,962.

Figure 8 is a similar view but showing the switch in closed position, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the movable member of the main switch.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several' iigures of the drawings.

Referring to the specific form shown in the accompanymg drawings, I have illustrated a plurality of gas burners A which are connected to a common gas supply pipe B. Each burner A includes a circular head'5 of hollow construction and a hollow neck 6, the head being provided with a hollow cross bar 7. The circular head 5 is provided with a series of openings 8 for permitting the escape of gas from within the head, and the cross bar 7 is. likewise provided with a series of similar openings 9. The neck 6 is connected to the main supply pipe B throughthe medium of a connecting nipple 10v which is formed with a valve seat 11. A rotary valve 12 is associated with the seat 11 for controlling the supply of gas or other fuel from the main supply pipe B to the associated burner A The cross bar 7 is provided with a plurality of spaced upwardlyextending lugs 13,14 and 15 respectively, which are formed with alined openings 16', 17 and 18 respectively. Seated within the alined openings 16, 17 and 18 is a thermostat'19which is preferably formed of `an elongated bar of metal such as brass. Une end of this thermostat is ixedly secured to the lug 13 by means of a set screw 20, and the other end of said thermostat projects outwardly beyond the lug 15 and carries at its-extreme end a contact oint 21. -Thus the thermostat 19 is dispose directly above the burner A and is located inthe direct path of the flames from the cross bar 7. Fixed to the head 5 of the burner but insulated. therefrom is a fixed contact 22 which is adapted to be engaged y by the movable -contact 21 when the thermostat 19 contracts. When the thermostat 19 95v4 expands, and consequently lengthens longitudinally under the influence of heat from the burner, the movable contact 21 will become separated from the xed contact 22. The thermostat and the switch 21-22 which 190 4is controlled thereby forms a part of an 30. These contacts 29 and 30 are insulated' from each other and are supported by the end of the neck 6 adjacent the valve 12 through the medium of an insulating block 31. A wire 32 extends from the fixed Contact 22 of the thermostatic controlled switch to the Xed contact plate 30. A wire 33 extends from the fixed contact plate 29 to the battery 23. A wire 34 isconnected to the thermostat 19 and to the round. The secondary 35 of the spark coil 26 includes terminals 36--36 forming therebetween a spark gap 37, the terminals 36 being supported by and insulated from the burner A, and the spark. gap 37 thereof being located directly above one of the openings 9 formed in the cross bar 7 As a result of the above construction, when the valve 12 is opened to permit gas to enter the burner A from the supply pipe B, the switch 28, 29 and 30 will be closed, and consequently current will flow from the batter 23 through the primary 25 of the spark coll 26, thence through the wire 27 to the ground, thence through the wire 34 to the thermostat 19, thence through the closed switch 21--22, thence through the wire 32 to the main switch 28, 29 and 30, and thence through the wire 33 to the battery, thus completing the circuit. The secondar winding 35 of the spark coil 26 will there y produce a sparkin the spark gap 37 and thereby ignite the gas flowing outwardly from the openings 9 in the burner. The llame having directcontactwith the thermostat 19 will heat the latter and expand longitudinally and open the switch 21-22, thus breaking the ignition circuit. As a result, the battery 23, or other source of electrical energy, will not be needlessly used. Should the llame become extinguished while the valve 12 is still open, the thermostat 19 will contract and 'close the switch 21-22 thereby producing sparks in the spark gap 37 and causing the gas to be re-ignited automatically. By controlling the switch 28, 29 and v30 by the fuel supply valve 12, the ignition circuit will be opened whenever the valve 12 is turned to cut oil' the supply of fuel and consequently current from the battery 23 will not be needlessly used.

Projecting upwardly from the lugs 14 and 15 are projectionsor pins 38 and 39 respectively. A guard plate 40 is supported abovel the thermostat 19 by the lugs 13, 14 and l5,

The lugs 14 and 15 are respectively provided withl upstanding pins 38 and 39, and the guard is formed with openings to receive the screw 20 and the pins 38 and 39. The guard is formed with a plurality of perforations 41 to permit the flame and heat therefrom to pass upwardly through the guard. The guard is relatively long and narrow and fully protects the thermostat 19 and associated switch 21-22 from contact with utensils and consequent damage.

It is of course to be understood that the details of structure and arrangements of parts may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. The combination with a gas burner, of an ignition circuit including a thermostat, a switch controlled thereby and a spark gap, the thermostat being mounted on the burner for direct contact with the flame for automatically opening the switch under the inluence of the heat from the llame and for automatically closing the switch upon failure of said flame. and a guard supported by the burner above the said thermostat to protectit from injurious contact and being cupped over the thermostat to tend to hold the ame in contact with said thermostat.

2. The combination with a gas burner, of an ignition circuit including a thermostat, a switch controlled thereby and a spark gap, the thermostat being mounted on the burner for direct contact with the flame for automatically opening the switch under the influence of the heat from the llame and for automatically closing the switch upon failure of said Hame, and a guard-supported by the burner above the said thermostat to protect it from injurious contact and having a portion extended over the spark gap in relatively close cupped relation to tend to entrap escaping gas and facilitate ignition of the burner'.

3. The combination with a gas burner, of an ignition circuit including a thermostat, a switch controlled thereby and a spark gap, the thermostat being mounted on the burner for direct contact with the llame for automatically opening the switch under the influence of the heat'from the flame and for automatically closing the switch upon failure of said llame, and a guard supported bythe burner above the said thermostat to protect it from injurious contact and being cupped over .the thermostat to'tend to hold the flame in contact 4with said thermostat, said guard also having -a portion extended over the spark gap in relatively close cupped relation to a row of aligning gas discharge apertures. u

' to ocket escaping gas over the said spark gap.

mostat comprising an elongated element adapted to be extended and contracted longitudinally under inuence of the gas dame or due to the absence thereof respectively and having one end secured to one lug and slidable through another lug While expanding or contracting, the movable Contact of said 'switch being carried by the movable end of said thermostat, and a guard member' supported upon the said lugs and cupped over the spark gap and the thermostatelement to pocket the llame over the said element or n testimony whereof' we hereunto ax our signatures.

HUG-H BRADY. REGlNALD M. BRADY. 

